The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-05-17
NATURAL HISTORY.
Three Easy Lessons for New Beginners
Ambitious to Attain Bminence.

AMBITIOUS TO Att8ln BmfnchCes
THE WOLF.
There are three or four countries In
this world not inhabited by wolves, but
it may, be truthfully said that they do
not amount to much. The wolf was
probably created soon after man, and
Is one of the first animals mentioned
after the world got her axle CREASED and
got the word to 60. In his wild state
his sole object is to get three square
meals day, and he isn't bit particu-
lar whether he lunches on an old mule
or a young Countess. When domesti-
Gated. he can be taught several tricks,
one Of which is eating up the family
baby at the first opportunity.
The wolf is not as brave as the lion
but he manages to get in his S65
daysin the year just the same, and it is
. cold day when any thing good to eat
gets away from him. There are more
wolves in Russia than in any other
country. This is because the Gear
never gets time to go cunning for any
thing but Nihilists. Sometimes, when
scalloped oysters and lobster salad are
scarce, the wolves will band together
aud pursue sleighing parry. If they
can't be driven off the occupants of the
sleigh throw each other out as offerings,
and if one is lucky to escape the news
papers call him a hero and the Gear
gives him a medal.
The alligator makes no pretensions
to beauty, but prides himself on his
sterling character. He can be found in
all tropical countries, but grows to his
largest size in India and Africa. There
is no one to pick on him there and keep
him mad from Monday morning to Sat-
urday night, while the fodder is excel
lent He is still found in the southern
portion of the United States, but is no
longer the confding, trusting reptile of
twenty years ago. Let him hear a
brass band begin to toot now and he
will slide for deep water without look
ing back over his shoulder.
AT several different epochs our natu-
ralists have sought to make out that the
alligator wouldn't bite. We are happy
to inform our readers that all such
naturalists have long since furnished
alligator luncheons:
The alligator feeds ON fish and flesh
of every sort, and it is not on record
that he has any particular choice.
When nothing else comes handy he
will swallow pine knots and log chains
to fill the aching void in his stomach.
He is sort of half-and-half reptile,
spending his time either on land or
water, according to the number of
darkies who have got day off to go
fishing. There are said to be several
cures for the bite of an alligator. but
no one has ever yet had chance to try
any of them. He is supposed to live
for fifty or sixty years, and to grow
meaner and uglier every year of his
life.
The lion is called the king of beasts
in order to advertise circuses. He in
habits great share of the earth, but
bis favorite stamping ground is Africa.
He feeds altogether on flesh, and there
must be many times in his life when he
wonders why Nature didn't put an
extra compartment in and allow him to
, eat hay. His roar is one of the grand
sounds of the forest and is calculated
to lift man up tree at the rate of
foot second. 1t is said that If lion
leaps over you IN his spring he will
drop his tail and fee. Every boy
should remember this and be prepared
to duck. No lion can ever be
thoroughly tanned, and there's no use
sitting up nights and throwing your
time away. He is supposed to live one
hundred years in his wild state, but
they can't be carted around in cage
over fifteen before the gingerbread
and pink lemonade stiffens their limbs
In death. There are no wild lions in
this country. The taxes are probably
too high-Detroit Free Press.